Boiler Breakdown Insurance Recommends

sharepicker

I have used British Gas boiler central heating insurance for many years and its due to renew next month, I realised I have been paying top money for this but now it's got far too much. So any experiences of alternatives by people? My boiler Potterton is now 20+ years old so know that will go against me, I've seen quotes and prepared to go £20 a month but want a company that's reliable and do come out in quick time if the boiler conks out.

Rob5342

I don't know what the prices are like but I've had quick attendance from SSE and Homeserve.

You often get an introductory price so it's a good idea to switch it every year.

tacpot12

Rather than insure your very old boiler, how about replacing it? Boxt do finance on new boilers, and you will get a 7 year warranty on a new boiler. £20 per month for 7 years is nearly £1700, so it would cost you less than £1300 for a new boiler, new boilers being just under £3000 from Boxt.

You will also save money on gas.

luci

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6673182/boiler-breakdown-insurance-recommends

You would need to read the policy wording of any policy you are considering. There are some that won't cover a boiler over a certain age. The only boiler cover I've ever had was a 12 months policy for switching to BG. I vaguely remember that the policy only covered boilers up to 12 years old. However, there is no way on earth I would have allowed a BG fitter to touch my boiler, based on the experiences of friends and family. I used a local, independent plumber / heating engineer to fit a ne boiler last year. I had them back to service it last week, £65 + VAT.

I have only ever had an extended warranty for a washing machine. I only bought that after the washer needed an engineer's visit in the first 12 months. The engineer said that, if it ever needed a PCB board, that would have been about half what I paid for the washer, and it wasn't cheap. I paid the warranty for a few years, then realised that, if I ever needed to claim, I would just be extending the age of an older and less efficient machine.

What I've done is self-insure. I worked out how much an extended warranty would be for all my appliances, divided it by 12 and put that money into a separate account. In all that time, I've only ever needed a boiler repair, which wasn't that expensive. I've save thousands of pounds.

jaybeetoo

Put what you spend on insurance into a savings account to be used when something goes wrong with your central heating. Find a local, qualified gas heating technician to carry out your annual service. You’ll probably save a fortune.

Just work out how much you’ve paid in insurance over the years. You have probably paid more than enough for at least one new boiler and probably more!

born_again

Or how about a good local company to do servicing & any repairs required. Rather than paying for cover you may not need?

sharepicker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82041043#Comment_82041043

That's the ideal…..if only I could find one!!

poseidon1

Frankly @tacpot12's suggestion of a new boiler replacement makes sense.

I put up with a 25 year old potterton that was forever breaking down, used inordinate amount of gas when it did work, and was intrusively noisy in operation ( a combi boiler).

Bit the bullet in 2022 and swapped it out for a very efficient A- Vaillant combi. The difference in gas usage, speed of heating up radiators and curtailment of noise has been transformative. Happy to pay between £80 to £90 for an annual clean and inspection.

luci

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82041632#Comment_82041632

What about asking on a local Facebook group for recommendations?

I needed a contractor to lay new gravel and slabs in the front garden and lay a new drive. I got quite a few suggestions and got quotes from 3 that were mentioned by more than one person.